Home explosion, new risk

[ray1970]

If the line is severed at the meter, how are there any ignition sources left in the home?

Right? Perhaps the insurance company should do a fraud investigation.

[O2HeN2]

If the line is severed at the meter, how are there any ignition sources left in the home?

Any electrical switch or many motors. Like the fan in your laptop, for example.

O2

[Irving]

I know not all houses are the same, but now I'm wondering how far out that gas meter was set. My eaves are 12" and under at my house; but even if I only had 6" eaves snow sliding off the roof wouldn't damage my meter unless it was a straight drop.

[FoxtArt]

I was apparently being dumb using a pilot light as an example, but yes, it only takes the most minuscule of electrical arc to ignite natural gas once the % has increased high enough. Ever take the lid off a mercury switch? Those have pretty sizable arcs as far as natural gas is concerned. Many electric motors too, seen how they sparkle at night? Any kind of switch can produce a tiny arc when it is thrown as well. So a house has literally hundreds of ignition points for natural gas, even without natural gas service. Once the % is high enough, it's going to go boom unless you throw the power disconnect near the breaker panel, and hope you don't have UPS...

[O2HeN2]

...unless you throw the power disconnect near the breaker panel...

Which, unless there's absolutely NOTHING drawing power in your house, will cause a spark...

I can think of no modern home that doesn't have dozens of items pulling power all the time. Microwave oven [clock]? Printer? Even an empty power strip with a light on it? Wall wart to power something (phone recharger) - even if that something isn't plugged into the wart (vampire load)?

About the only way to safely remove power from a gas-filled house is switching it off it at the pole, which is in open air.

O2

[Mtneer]

I know not all houses are the same, but now I'm wondering how far out that gas meter was set. My eaves are 12" and under at my house; but even if I only had 6" eaves snow sliding off the roof wouldn't damage my meter unless it was a straight drop.

Apparently it was an A-frame house. Hard to tell from the photos!

[Irving]

I wonder if the Jeff Boyd quoted in the article is the same guy that I grew up with.

[MarkCO]

That is not that uncommon. I have worked on three professionally with the same circumstances just in the RWB FPD which is who responded to this one. Sure there is code, but the meter set belongs to the gas company and the pipe coming out belongs to the owner. Having been a retained expert for both Xcel and Insurance companies for the homeowner, it is not as clear as it may seem. Both parties have to obligation to protect the connections from snow and ice. I'll stop there as I have two open cases with the same type of issue.